Dirt on Dirt - Mitchell rolls to Rebel Yell win at Screven

July 22

Screven Motor Speedway,

Sylvania, GA

Sanction: Schaeffer's Southern Nationals (Rebel Yell) - $10,053

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated July 24, 3:44 am)

Mitchell rolls to Rebel Yell win at Screven

Rebel Yell

Zack Mitchell
Chris Ferguson
Donald McIntosh
Ross Bailes
Kenny Collins
Jimmy Owens
Gavin Cowan
Haiden Cowan
Cody Overton
Jordy Nipper
Carson Ferguson
Ricky Weiss
Trey Mills
Tyler Clem
Cla Knight
Brenden Smith
Jordan Koehler
Payton Freeman
Mike Benedum
Joey Tanner
Steven Roberts
John Llewellyn

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Zack Mitchell celebrates his Schaeffer's Southern Nationals victory.

What won the race: Staying well ahead of a raucous battle for second, polesitter Zack Mitchell of Enoree, S.C., led all 53 laps to win Saturday’s Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals Rebel Yell at Screven Motor Speedway. Mitchell’s first career Southern Nationals victory was worth $10,053.

Quotable: “That’s exactly what happened last year. I got out there to a big lead and was just trying to bide my time and Brandon (Overton) passed me with like nine laps to go,” Mitchell said, referring to the 2022 race when he led the first 46 laps. “It just feels good to be standing up here after the last couple months we’ve had. We’ve had a lot of bad luck, mechanical problems and stuff. It feels good and I owe everything to my guys and my sponsors.”

Key notes: Series points leader Carson Ferguson of Lincolnton, N.C., smacked the wall during hot laps and missed time trials. He made the feature after winning the consolation race, but was never a factor in finishing 11th. … Fourth-starting Ricky Weiss of Headingley, Manitoba, suffered a flat on lap five and ended up 12th. … Portland, Ore.’s Joey Tanner made his first Southern Nationals feature, finishing 20th. … Mike Benedum of Salem, W.Va., went to a backup car after damaging his primary car in hot laps. … Bryson Harper of Forrest City, N.C., was competing for a heat win when he crashed hard into the wall; he scratched for the rest of the program. … Originally the seventh stop on the Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals schedule, the 24th annual Rebel Yell was the tour’s fourth feature following rainouts at I-75 and East Alabama and Volunteer’s cancellation. … The series visited Screven for the 16th time. … Mitchell joined Jimmy Owens (Beckley), Dale McDowell (Wythe) and Ashton Winger (Senoia) as series winners this year.

On the move: Fifth-finishing Kenny Collins of Colbert, Ga., and sixth-finishing Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., both improved seven positions.

Winner's sponsors: Mitchell’s Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Eubanks Oil, Clary Hood, Inc., SoCar Chemical, Charles West Grading, Rolling Pines Lawn & Landscaping, Hoosier Tire, Fox Racing Shocks and DirtCarLift.

Points chase: After Screven: 1. Jimmy Owens (800); 2. Carson Ferguson (798); T3. Ricky Weiss (780); T3. Donald McIntosh (780); 5. Mike Benedum (728); 6. Jordan Koehler (716); 7. Brenden Smith (710); 8. Kenny Collins (691); 9. John Llewellyn (686); 10. Tyler Clem (645); 11. David McCoy (595).

Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 72°F

Car count: 27

Fast qualifier: Zack Mitchell

Time: 14.860 seconds

Polesitter: Zack Mitchell

Heat race winners: Zack Mitchell, Ross Bailes, Chris Ferguson

Consolation race winners: Carson Ferguson

Provisional starters: Mike Benedum, John Llewellyn, David McCoy

Next series race: July 25, Toccoa Raceway (Toccoa, GA) $7,553

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

SYLVANIA, Ga. (July 22) — Updates and results from the fourth round of the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals at Screven Motor Speedway, an event highlighted by a $10,053-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Staying well ahead of a raucous battle for second place, polesitter Zack Mitchell of Enoree, S.C., led all 53 laps to win Saturday’s Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals 24th annual Rebel Yell at Screven Motor Speedway. Mitchell’s first career Southern Nationals victory was worth $10,053.

Third-starting Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., finished second after dropping back into the pack early in the race and Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, Ga., improved four positions to finish third. Ross Bailes of Clover S.C., finished fourth after running second for 35 laps, and 12th-starting Kenny Collins of Colbert, Ga., completed the top five after sneaking by Newport, Tenn.’s Jimmy Owens with 12 laps remaining.

The main event was slowed by three cautions: Ricky Weiss’s flat tire on lap two; Jordan Koehler slowed on the frontstretch on lap four; and Payton Freeman stopped after hitting an infield tire barrier on lap 37.

Feature lineup

(53 laps)
Row 1: Zack Mitchell, Ross Bailes
Row 2: Chris Ferguson, Ricky Weiss
Row 3: Jordy Nipper, Haiden Cowan
Row 4: Donald McIntosh, Cody Overton
Row 5: Gavin Cowan, Cla Knight
Row 6: Payton Freeman, Kenny Collins
Row 7: Jimmy Owens, Trey Mills
Row 8: Steven Roberts, Carson Ferguson
Row 9: Jordan Koehler, Tyler Clem
Row 10: Brenden Smith, Joey Tanner
Row 11: Mike Benedum, John Llewellyn

Consolation result

(12 laps; top five transfer)
Finish: Carson Ferguson, Jordan Koehler, Tyler Clem, Brenden Smith, Joey Tanner, David McCoy, Brent Dixon, Mike Benedum, Ben Boyd, John Llewellyn. Scratched: Bryson Harper, Jim Rogers.

Heat race results

(10 laps; top five transfer)
First heat: Zack Mitchell, Ricky Weiss, Donald McIntosh, Cla Knight, Jimmy Owens, Jordan Koehler, Tyler Clem, Brent Dixon, Mike Benedum.

Second heat: Ross Bailes Jordy Nipper, Cody Overton, Payton Freeman, Trey Mills, Brenden Smith, Ben Boyd, Bryson Harper, Jim Rogers.

Third heat: Chris Ferguson, Haiden Cowan, Gavin Cowan, Kenny Collins, Steven Roberts, Carson Ferguson, David McCoy, Joey Tanner, John Llewellyn.

Time trial results

Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
Zack Mitchell (57), Enoree, S.C., 14.860
Ross Bailes (79), Clover, S.C., 14.873
Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 14.966
Ricky Weiss (7W), Headingley, Manitoba, 15.019
Bryson Harper (20H), Forest City, N.C., 15.065
Haiden Cowan (214), Rincon, Ga., 15.084
Cla Knight (42), North Augusta, S.C., 15.137
Cody Overton (97), Evans, Ga., 15.155
Gavin Cowan (19), Rincon, Ga., 15.204
Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., 15.218
Jordy Nipper (1N), Gray, Ga., 15.272
Steven Roberts (111), Sylvester, Ga., 15.294
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 15.355
Trey Mills (14jr), St. Augustine, Fla., 15.360
Kenny Collins (1c), Colbert, Ga., 15.362
Jordan Koehler (114), Mount Airy, N.C., 15.370
Jim Rogers (71k), Statesboro, Ga. 15.420
David McCoy (187), Franklin, N.C., 15.423
Tyler Clem (58), St. Petersburg, Fla., 15.450
Payton Freeman (F1), Commerce, Ga., 15.523
Joey Tanner (46), Portland, Ore., 15.556
Brent Dixon (1D), Elberton, Ga., 15.628
Brenden Smith (17ss), Dade City, Fla., 15.753
John Llewellyn (2), Knoxville, Tenn., 15.790
Mike Benedum (25), Salem, W.Va., 16.422
Ben Boyd (8), Sylvania, Ga., 16.836
Carson Ferguson (93), Lincolnton, N.C., no time